Systems and methods for managing offload from one radio access network to another

ABSTRACT

A method of managing data traffic offload from a radio access network may include: determining a location of a mobile device; and identifying, based on data traffic offload requirements of a network operator and capabilities of alternative network providers, one or more alternative networks configured to be accessed by the mobile device at the determined location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/586,837, filed Dec. 30, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional App. No. 61/922,396, filed Dec. 31, 2013, U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/922,382, filed Dec. 31, 2013, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/922,376, filed Dec. 31, 2013, the entireties of allof which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Field

The subject matter discussed herein relates generally to wirelessservice to mobile devices and, more particularly, to managing thetraffic on radio access networks that can be used to service mobiledevices.

Related Art

Mobile devices generally rely on wireless service provided by a serviceprovider using cellular communications that utilize radio frequencycommunication.

Data communications to mobile devices can also be provided over othertypes of radio access networks. For example, Wi-Fi access pointsconnected to broadband networks provide data to mobile devices. Thechoice of whether data communication takes place over a cellular networkor a Wi-Fi connection is normally left to the end user of the device. Ifthe end user has entered all necessary passwords and access credentialsto the mobile device memory and the Wi-Fi radio is on, in many cases theconnection to Wi-Fi is preferred automatically by the mobile device.

In U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 13/684,044 (filed Nov. 21, 2012),Ser. No. 13/684,048 (filed Nov. 21, 2012), Ser. No. 13/684,049 (filedNov. 21, 2012), 61/805,473 (filed Mar. 26, 2012), 61/805,476 (filed Mar.26, 2012) and 61/877,178 (filed Sep. 12, 2013) methods are described foralternative network access (ANA) based on methods and systems forselecting the radio access network to provide Internet or other networkaccess based on terms and conditions for allowing access and terms andconditions for utilizing access to the alternative network. Each ofthose applications is hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

In practice, the terms and conditions for utilizing access toalternative networks often depend on the expected or the actual load onthe primary network managed by the service provider for the device. Forexample, if the primary network access takes place through the cellularnetwork system owned by the service provider for the device, it islikely that the service provider first wants to utilize all of thecapacity in its own network before seeking to use capacity from analternative network. This is especially the case if there is a costassociated with using the alternative network access.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects and features of the present inventive concept will be moreapparent by describing example embodiments with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional layout of cellular sectorsin an urban environment;

FIG. 2 illustrates locations of Wi-Fi access points in the urbanenvironment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of how conventional cellular sectors andWi-Fi access point locations are related to one another;

FIG. 4 illustrates a density of access points in an urban environmentbased on a field test result;

FIG. 5 is a closer view of a density of access points in an urbanenvironment based on a field test result;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic example of how mobile devices aredistributed within a cellular sector according to various embodiments;

FIG. 7 illustrates a typical variation of data usage during the hours ofa day in a cellular sector during business days in a downtown businessdistrict according to various embodiments;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an example of a non-uniformity of datademand across several towers of a single mobile network operator in andaround an urban area;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the projected data traffic load during thehours of a day in the sector depicted in FIG. 7 six months later thanthe situation in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 illustrates the anticipated hourly data traffic offload needprofile of the mobile network operator in case of the projected loadillustrated in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the components of an exemplary systemfor managing data traffic offload to alternative network access pointsaccording to various embodiments;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the process of determining to whichaccess point a particular mobile device shall connect during theoperation of data communication according to various embodiments;

FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the operations in authentication andauthorization for managing data traffic offload to an alternativenetwork according to various embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a functional flow diagram of an example process of managingthe appropriate amount of data traffic offload from the primary to thealternative network according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 15 is a functional flow diagram of an example process for managingdata traffic offload in case the profile is defined in terms of datacapacity need from alternative network access according to variousembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter described herein is taught by way of exampleimplementations. Various details have been omitted for the sake ofclarity and to avoid obscuring the subject matter. The examples shownbelow are directed to structures and functions for implementing systemsand methods for establishing wireless connections based on accessconditions. Other features and advantages of the subject matter shouldbe apparent from the following description.

As communication needs of various wireless and mobile devices havegrown, many of them have been equipped with more than one radio system.Each of the radio systems may be used to connect to one or more wirelessnetworks based on the system protocols. Examples of such systems are acellular radio system that may be utilizing a GSM, CDMA or LTE standardfor encoding the signal and a Wi-Fi system that utilizes a well-knownIEEE 802.11 standard for communication. Another example may be a WiMAXsystem that is based on the IEEE standard 802.16.

Structure and Operational Characteristics of Cellular and Wi-Fi Networks

In a communication device that has multiple radio systems, each of theradios may have different characteristics. For example, the cellularsystem may be designed to connect to cell towers that are further apartand use a higher power signal than the Wi-Fi radio system uses. Sincethe Wi-Fi standard is utilizing unlicensed spectrum, the power of thetransmitter may be limited by regulation and consequently the distanceover which the communication can effectively take place may be shorterthan the effective communication distance in the case of a cellularconnection.

The different characteristic of the radio systems may result in atopology of coverage in the environment that is very different for eachradio access network. For example, in the cellular system a single radiomay be covering an area ranging from hundreds of meters across to a fewkilometers, with typically one square kilometer or more of surface areafor a cellular sector. In comparison, a Wi-Fi system that is based onusing unlicensed radio bands and therefore limited in the power of thesignal may cover only an area of 50 meters to 100 meters across.

A cellular radio access network is normally engineered for ubiquitouscoverage. This means that cell sites are placed at distances where thecoverage of each sector slightly overlaps with the coverage area of theadjacent sector. FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional layout ofcellular sectors in an urban environment. This is a simplification ofthe actual situation in many cellular access networks. Often, inaddition to macro cell sites and their associated sectors, there may besmall cells with shorter range. These shorter range cells may also havesectored radio systems. However, in the aggregate, cellular systems areengineered for ubiquitous coverage.

Wi-Fi access points are typically deployed to meet the needs of thesubscriber to the broadband connection to which the access point isconnected. There are also Wi-Fi access point deployments that areintended for third parties or the general public. These are often calledhotspots. In either case, the Wi-Fi access points that may be availablefor offloading data traffic are located in various places throughout theenvironment and their coverage may or may not be ubiquitous. Theseaccess points may constitute the example alternative network accessdiscussed in this document. FIG. 2 illustrates locations of Wi-Fi accesspoints in the urban environment illustrated in FIG. 1.

Typically there are several access points that can provide alternativenetwork access within the area of each cellular sector. An example ofthe distribution of Wi-Fi access points (represented by the darkcircles) in an urban environment is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 illustratesan example of how conventional cellular sectors and Wi-Fi access pointlocations are related to one another.

It may be noted that, in most urban environments with reasonablepenetration of broadband connections, the Wi-Fi access points in theaggregate provide signals that are sufficient to provide much more thanubiquitous coverage. In fact, in most urban environments a mobile devicewith Wi-Fi access typically receives a strong enough signal for goodbroadband connection from several, in many cases from dozens of Wi-Fiaccess points. However, all of these access points may not be availablefor alternative network access. FIG. 4 illustrates a density of accesspoints in an urban environment based on a field test result. FIG. 5 is acloser view of a density of access points in an urban environment basedon a field test result. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the density of access pointsand Wi-Fi signals in the urban environment are represented by thespheres.

Not only are Wi-Fi access point signals ubiquitous in many environments,they are also most of the time not being used. The nature of the needfor accessing the Internet is typically quite intermittent. However, atthe time of the access is required, it is desirable to have high datatransfer speeds available. Because of the desired high data transferspeeds, most broadband connections are capable of speeds of severalmegabits per second. The typical average speeds are also growing rapidlyas further investments into more sophisticated data transfer systems aremade by the broadband service providers.

The end result of the relatively high penetration of broadband access,high prevalence of Wi-Fi access points in the termination points onbroadband connections, and the intermittent use of these Internetconnections is that there is tremendous unused wireless network accesscapacity available in most urban and suburban areas. This capacity isowned and controlled by broadband service providers. In most cases thesebroadband service providers are different companies than the mobilenetwork operators. Therefore, in most cases the access points are notavailable for alternative network access to the mobile devices thatprimarily use cellular networks for accessing the Internet.

Mobile devices may be anywhere in the environment and are, true to theirname, moving around in relation to the stationary radio access networksas their end-users move during the course of the day. At any given timea typical cellular macro sector may serve several hundred mobiledevices. Only a small portion of these mobile devices is active and aneven smaller portion may be downloading or uploading data at any giveninstant. FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic example of how mobile devicesare distributed within a cellular sector. Some mobile devices are withinrange of selected Wi-Fi access points (represented as ovals with anaccess point graphically represented near their center); others are notwithin range of Wi-Fi access points.

As the overall usage of data by mobile devices continues to grow, moredevices, connected to a particular cell sector radio will attempt to usemore data at higher frequencies. Over time, this means that the maximumcapacity of data traffic at the cellular radio will be reached.Initially, this may happen only during peak usage times. These peaktimes are typically very regular and occur during business days duringthe same hours every day. The actual pattern of usage may be differentat different locations. For example, in downtown business districts thepeak usage may take place during the morning and evening commute hoursand during lunchtime. In suburban residential areas, the highest usagenormally occurs during the evening hours.

FIG. 7 illustrates a typical variation of data usage in a cellularsector during the hours of a business day in a downtown businessdistrict. The light gray area represents demand that is beyond theexisting cellular network capacity. Because of the variation of usageduring different hours of the day, the gradually increasing demand ineach cellular sector or small cell initially exceeds capacity onlyduring a relatively short period at the peak demand time. An example ofsuch peak demand exceeding the cellular network capacity is shown inFIG. 7.

-   The cellular network system of a mobile network operator typically    includes thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of cellular sectors    and small cells. The distribution of data demand is typically quite    uneven across the various cell sites and cellular sectors. FIG. 8 is    an illustration of an example of the non-uniformity of data demand    across several towers of a single mobile network operator in and    around an urban area. The size of the dots (small circles) indicates    the total data traffic during the busiest hour of the day at each    cell site.

As can be seen from the dots, at the time of the measurement only a fewcell sites had very high demand (the largest dots) and would havebenefited from additional capacity. During normal operation, typicallyonly a few percent of the cell sites are in need of additional capacity.Mobile network operators normally address the capacity shortages byinvesting in additional equipment, taking on rental costs, and payingfor additional backhaul for routing the traffic to the Internet or thecellular operator's network system. By always expanding capacity at thelocations most in need of expansion the operators keep up with demand.As a result, those are the locations where additional capacity wouldneed to be shifted around in the network.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the projected data traffic load during thehours of a day in the sector depicted in FIG. 7 six months later thanthe situation in FIG. 7. Cellular network operators accumulate largeamounts of information of usage patterns in their networks. Thisinformation is normally used to plan for network expansions in order tokeep up with the growing demand. For example, by analyzing the collectedinformation about use of cellular data in a particular sectorrepresented by FIG. 7 and applying straightforward trend extrapolationand other forecasting methods, a cellular operator may conclude thatwithin six months data usage in the same sector will look like a patternshown in FIG. 9. Again, the light gray area represents demand that isbeyond the existing cellular network capacity.

Assuming that the network operator has not increased the capacity of thecellular network, it would be desirable for the mobile network operatorto gain access to alternative network capacity for mobile devices withinthis cellular sector to make up for the shortfall in capacity.

In most cases, the need for alternative network capacity in each sectorwould vary by the hours of the day. In an ideal case, the mobile networkoperator would offload data traffic during each hour (or other shortertime period) of the day exactly in the amount needed to make up thedifference between the existing cellular network capacity and the datacapacity demand during each hour. FIG. 10 illustrates the anticipatedhourly data traffic offload need profile of the mobile network operatorin case of the projected load illustrated in FIG. 9.

The following system description explains a method and system to enablemanaging data traffic offload to an alternative network in order toachieve the offload profile described in the previous paragraph.

Method and System for Managing Data Traffic Offload

An example of a solution for managing data traffic offload to meet theobjectives of the mobile network operator can determine which networkaccess each of the mobile devices uses at various times. The parametersfor this determination are quite complex and dynamic.

Certain access points for alternative network access may be locatedwithin a particular cellular sector or small cell; however, there may beoverlap between cellular sectors. For example, a Wi-Fi access point insome cases may be within the footprint of several cell sectors. Addingsmall cells into the mix further complicates the task of determining towhich cellular radio systems specific Wi-Fi access points may providealternative network access. In addition the mobile operators havedeployed network load management systems, which dynamically allocatemobile devices to various cellular radio connections to balance networktraffic.

Because mobile devices move around in the environment, the availablechoices of network access for each of the devices may vary over time. Inaddition each of the mobile devices may need data capacity at differenttimes depending on their use. In various embodiments, to deal with thecomplexity and dynamic nature of the need for alternative networkaccess, the solution for managing data traffic offload to alternativeaccess may consist of, for example, but not limited to, three kinds ofcomponents:

1) A software module (for example, an application) operating on each ofthe mobile devices participating in the system;

2) A cloud-based server system including software that communicates withthe application on their mobile devices; and.

3) Interfaces for mobile network operators and for providers ofalternative network access to enter information about their needs andabout their willingness to provide alternative network access and theterms and conditions associated with such access.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the components of an exemplary systemfor managing data traffic offload to alternative network access pointsaccording to various embodiments. FIG. 12 illustrates an example of theprocess of determining to which access point a particular mobile deviceshall connect during the operation of data communication according tovarious embodiments.

The functioning of all the components as a system for managing datatraffic offload to alternative network access is illustrated in FIG. 12and explained in the following. When the mobile device is in sleep modeand there is no Internet access available through a Wi-Fi connection,the application on the mobile device may turn the Wi-Fi radio off inorder to conserve battery power. If the user of the mobile deviceactivates the mobile device so that it comes out of the sleep mode, theapplication may turn on the Wi-Fi radio and scan for available Wi-Fiaccess points in its environment. For example, the application mayimmediately turn on the Wi-Fi radio and scan Wi-Fi access points whenthe mobile device comes out of the sleep mode. Even during sleep modethe application may turn on the Wi-Fi radio and scan for availableaccess points at predetermined intervals.

The results of the scan, including the signal strength of each accesspoint, are transmitted to the cloud-based server system. Informationabout the identification of the cellular sector to which the mobiledevice is connected as well as the latitude and longitude of the mobiledevice at the time of the scan may be included in the scan information.

The server may utilize information in the scan about the observed accesspoints, the signal strengths of the observed access points, theidentification of the cell sector to which the mobile device isconnected together with information provided by the mobile networkoperator and information about the owner of the access points that mayprovide alternative network access. Based on all this information, theserver determines whether the mobile device should transfer itsconnection from the cellular network to one of the Wi-Fi access pointsthat have a sufficiently strong signal as indicated by the scan results.

Based on a determination by the server, the server may send informationto the mobile device that includes the identification of the accesspoint to which the mobile device should associate (if any). The servermay send a rank ordered list of access points that would be possibleproviders of alternative network access in order to provide severalalternatives for the mobile device.

In most cases access to the Internet through Wi-Fi access points iscontrolled by some kind of security and access control system. Thereforethe mobile device may need credentials and instructions about how toobtain access to the Internet. Terms and conditions for access set bythe alternative network access provider may include payments that dependon the amount of data traffic. There may also be limits to how much datacan be used in any session before re-authorization or termination of thesession. Accordingly, there may also be a need to keep track of how muchdata traffic to the mobile device each access point provides.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the operations in authentication andauthorization for managing data traffic offload to an alternativenetwork according to various embodiments. Every communication betweenthe app on the mobile device and the cloud-based server system may beencrypted and authenticated. There may be a shared secret between thetwo software systems (i.e., the application and the server) and theapplication may have access to the identification information of themobile device and its service provider. The server system may furtherconfirm the authorization status of the mobile device using standardprotocols, for example, but not limited to, the RADIUS protocol. Aconnection to the RADIUS server system of the mobile network operatorserving the mobile device may be made at whatever frequency mobilenetwork operator has specified.

Once the authorization is confirmed and the server system has made thedetermination that the data connection of the mobile device should betransferred to a specific access point, the server system may send therequired credentials and instructions on how to use the credentials tothe application on the mobile device. The credentials may be in anencrypted form and only the application on the mobile device may receivethe credentials and be able to decrypt and use them. The end user of thedevice may not have access to the credentials, and the operating systemin the device may not retain any information about them after theconnection is made. The mobile device uses the credentials to make theconnection to (i.e., associate with) the access point.

The quality of the signal of the access point for alternative networkaccess is monitored by the mobile device using an appropriate parameter,for example, but not limited to, the relative signal strength (RSSI),the encoding method selected by the mobile device and the access point,etc., or any other indicator of the ability of the signal to provide agood quality broadband connection. If the quality indicator is below aset threshold or drops below a set threshold during the connection thesystem automatically disassociates from the access point and transfersthe connection to the primary cellular network access (e.g., cellularnetwork access).

The availability of a connection to the Internet is also frequentlymonitored, for example by pinging a known server. The system may allow aset time interval for reaching the Internet at the beginning of aconnection and a different time interval during the connection. Also,the access control system on the access point may cause the mobiledevice access to the Internet to expire. Upon expiration of access, themobile device may again follow the access instructions from the serverto extend the session. If the access instructions fail, the connectionmay be automatically terminated and/or control may be sent to the enduse for the user to take specific action.

Other parameters may also be included in the monitoring and testing ofthe connection quality. For example, the system may be monitoring thelatency of the connection. This may be done by pinging a specifiedserver, for example, but not limited to, a voice over IP (VOIP)connection server.

Another signal quality test that the system may perform is a speed testfor the connection. This may be done by passively monitoring the speedof the traffic that the device is generating in normal use. If the speedis of the passive test is not adequate, the system may perform an activespeed test. In an active test several simultaneous download streams maybe initiated from a single server or from multiple servers and speed maybe monitored only during a part of the download process.

The action taken by the system based on the results of the varioussignal quality checks may include transferring the connectionautomatically to the primary network access (e.g., cellular networkaccess) or informing the end user about the test result and letting theuser decide on the specific action to take. For example, a high latencytests result may lead the system to recommend that the user selectsconventional cellular voice connection instead of a VOIP callapplication for making a voice call.

Once the signal quality has been determined, assuming the mobile deviceis still using the alternative network access, the application on themobile device may begin recording the data use of the mobile device. Thenumber of bytes used may be recorded at regular intervals and/or at theend of each connection, and the usage results may be sent to the cloudbased server system for billing and reconciliation purposes. Thetransfer of this information may be done at a later point to optimizeperformance of the system for cost and data speed. The informationtransfer may also be done within a specific time interval in order tohelp the system manage data traffic offload to the specific offloadprofile specified by the mobile network operator.

In various embodiments the key to managing the data traffic offload toalternative network access in order to achieve the ideal offload profilemay be in how the server system utilizes the information provided to itby the mobile devices and the information about the need for datatraffic offload and the availability of access points for data trafficoffload.

For example, the mobile network operator may input (e.g., to the cloudbased server system via a buyer console illustrated in FIG. 11) thedesired offload profile for each cellular sector that, based on theanalysis of usage data and its forecasts, will experience a shortage ofcapacity at specific hours of the day. This offload profile may beprovided by the mobile network operator in advance (e.g., months inadvance) as a part of the normal network planning process. The necessarydata traffic offload capacity may be reserved for the operator by thealternative network access provider based on the offload profile. Themechanisms for allocating capacity and making such reservations arediscussed in a separate document. In the following discussion, it isassumed that the desired offload profile is accepted by the offloadmanagement service provider and used as the target offload profile formanaging alternative network access.

The offload profile may be in the form of specific data capacity (e.g.,in Mbits/s) during various times, or it may be in the form of a specificnumber of active devices utilizing alternative network access atspecific times.

Since the mobile network operator may input the offload profileindividually for each cellular sector or small cell, the offload profileprovides precise control for the operator about where in terms of themobile network topology the alternative network access is utilized (seeFIG. 8). Since the mobile network operator may specify at what timesdata traffic offload to alternative network access shall be used, themechanism provides control about when data traffic offload is utilized(see FIGS. 7, 9, and 10).

As the need for additional capacity may vary during different hours ofthe day and between different days, the offload management system mayalso provide the ability to specify different amounts of data trafficoffload for each sector at different times in the offload profile. Thisway, the mobile network operator can control how much alternativenetwork access capacity is used in each cell sector at each time (seeFIG. 10).

The cloud-based server system for managing data traffic offload may takethe offload profiles specified by the mobile operators as an input formanaging connections in each sector. From the communications of the scanresults from mobile devices, the cloud-based server system knows howmany mobile devices are connected to each cellular sector and which ofthe mobile devices are in active versus sleep mode. As indicated above,the scan results may include an identification of the cellular sector towhich each mobile device is connected.

From the reports of the accounting function in the application on themobile devices the cloud-based server system also knows how much dataeach of the mobile devices has consumed from the alternative networkaccess points during a specified interval. The mobile devices may alsoreport to the cloud-based server system the amount of cellular data theyare consuming during the times when it is necessary to manage the datatraffic offload to alternative network access to further assist inmanagement of the data traffic offload. The reports of the accountingsystem may also include the identification of the cellular sector towhich the device is connected.

Utilizing the information from the offload profile and the scan resultreports and the feedback from the accounting reports the cloud-basedserver system can issue instructions to the appropriate number of mobiledevices connected to each cellular sector to achieve the offload profilespecified for each sector. These instructions may cause a mobile deviceto transfer its connection to alternative network access (e.g., for aspecified amount of time or specified amount of data traffic) or cause aspecific mobile device to transfer the data connection from alternativenetwork access back to the primary network access (e.g., cellularnetwork access) depending on the relation of the actual data trafficoffloading to the specified offload profile.

FIG. 14 is a functional flow diagram of an example process of managingthe appropriate amount of data traffic offload from the primary to thealternative network according to various embodiments. In FIG. 14 theheadings above the flow diagram indicate which parts of the system canperform each step. FIG. 15 is a functional flow diagram of an exampleprocess for managing data traffic offload in case the profile is definedin terms of data capacity need from alternative network access accordingto various embodiments. Also, in FIG. 15 the headings above the flowdiagram indicate which parts of the system can perform each step.

The foregoing systems and methods and associated devices and modules aresusceptible to many variations. Additionally, for clarity and concision,many descriptions of the systems and methods have been simplified. Forexample, the figures generally illustrate one of each type of networkdevice, but a network system may have many of each type of device.

As described in this specification, various systems and methods aredescribed as working to optimize particular parameters, functions, oroperations. This use of the term optimize does not necessarily meanoptimize in an abstract theoretical or global sense. Rather, the systemsand methods may work to improve performance using algorithms that areexpected to improve performance in at least many common cases. Forexample, the systems and methods may work to optimize performance judgedby particular functions or criteria. Similar terms like minimize ormaximize are used in a like manner.

Those of skill will appreciate that the various illustrative logicalblocks, modules, units, and algorithm steps described in connection withthe embodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronichardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearlyillustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, variousillustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been describedabove generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled personscan implement the described functionality in varying ways for eachparticular system, but such implementation decisions should not beinterpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, the grouping of functions within a unit, module, block, orstep is for ease of description. Specific functions or steps can bemoved from one unit, module, or block without departing from theinvention.

The various illustrative logical blocks, units, steps and modulesdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can beimplemented or performed with a processor, such as a general purposeprocessor, a multi-core processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor can be any processor, controller,microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implementedas a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of aDSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The steps of a method or algorithm and the processes of a block ormodule described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein canbe embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by aprocessor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can residein RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory,registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form ofstorage medium. An exemplary storage medium can be coupled to theprocessor such that the processor can read information from, and writeinformation to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storagemedium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storagemedium can reside in an ASIC. Additionally, device, blocks, or modulesthat are described as coupled may be coupled via intermediary device,blocks, or modules. Similarly, a first device may be described atransmitting data to (or receiving from) a second device when there areintermediary devices that couple the first and second device and alsowhen the first device is unaware of the ultimate destination of thedata.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Variousmodifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can beapplied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description anddrawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention and are therefore representative of the subject matterthat is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is furtherunderstood that the scope of the present invention fully encompassesother embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of managing data traffic offload from a radio access network, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor of a server to: obtain an offload profile for at least one cellular sector in a cellular network, wherein the offload profile indicates, for the at least one cellular sector, a traffic offload, needed from an alternative network; and, issue an instruction, to at least one mobile device within the at least one cellular sector, to either transfer a connection from the cellular network to the alternative network or transfer a connection from the alternative network to the cellular network.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on a signal quality within the at least one cellular sector.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on peak hours for the at least one cellular sector.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on traffic load within the at least one cellular sector.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cellular sector comprises a plurality of cellular sectors, and wherein the offload profile comprises, for each of the plurality of cellular sectors, a traffic offload, needed from the alternative network.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative network comprises a wireless network.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless network comprises another cellular network.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the offload profile comprises a traffic pattern representing a predicted amount of traffic for the at least one cellular sector during at least one time period.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one hardware processor of the server to, for the at least one mobile device that is instructed to transfer a connection from the cellular network to the alternative network, collect a measure of data consumed through the alternative network from the mobile device.
 11. A system for managing data traffic offload from a radio access network, the system comprising: at least one hardware processor; and one or more software modules configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, obtain an offload profile for at least one cellular sector in a cellular network, wherein the offload profile indicates, for the at least one cellular sector, a traffic offload, needed from an alternative network, and, issue an instruction, to at least one mobile device within the at least one cellular sector, to either transfer a connection from the cellular network to the alternative network or transfer a connection from the alternative network to the cellular network.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on a signal quality within the at least one cellular sector.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on peak hours for the at least one cellular sector.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on traffic load within the at least one cellular sector.
 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one cellular sector comprises a plurality of cellular sectors, and wherein the offload profile comprises, for each of the plurality of cellular sectors, a traffic offload, needed from the alternative network.
 16. The system of claim 11, wherein the alternative network comprises a wireless network.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless network comprises another cellular network.
 19. The system of claim 11, wherein the offload profile comprises a traffic pattern representing a predicted amount of traffic for the at least one cellular sector during at least one time period.
 20. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more software modules are further configured to, for the at least one mobile device that is instructed to transfer a connection from the cellular network to the alternative network, collect a measure of data consumed through the alternative network from the mobile device.
 21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain an offload profile for at least one cellular sector in a cellular network, wherein the offload profile indicates, for the at least one cellular sector, a traffic offload, needed from an alternative network; and, issue an instruction, to at least one mobile device within the at least one cellular sector, to either transfer a connection from the cellular network to the alternative network or transfer a connection from the alternative network to the cellular network.
 22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on a signal quality within the at least one cellular sector.
 23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on peak hours for the at least one cellular sector.
 24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein issuance of the instruction is based on traffic load within the at least one cellular sector.
 25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the at least one cellular sector comprises a plurality of cellular sectors, and wherein the offload profile comprises, for each of the plurality of cellular sectors, a traffic offload, needed from the alternative network.
 26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the alternative network comprises a wireless network.
 27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network.
 28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the wireless network comprises another cellular network.
 29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the offload profile comprises a traffic pattern representing a predicted amount of traffic for the at least one cellular sector during at least one time period.
 30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to, for the at least one mobile device that is instructed to transfer a connection from the cellular network to the alternative network, collect a measure of data consumed through the alternative network from the mobile device. 